who was then the Metropolitan's scenic .designer, advanced the theory that a gauze curtain painted with the figures of the hunt and pulled rapidly across the stage would produce the desired effect. The effect it produced was that of a I gauze curtain being pulled rapidly across m the stage. A few days before the open- ing, the despairing management called on Buchter, who set Professor Belson to work painting the hunt scene on a mica W disc. It worked out fine. Not Ion 0- after b . that, the Metropolitan tackled "Sadko," _ a Russian confection with an underwater ballet to be danced against a background ,4 of fish and sea anemones. The choreog- rapher could imagine no way to meet this scenic requirement short of staging it in the Aquarium. In the end, Buchter had the Professor toss off a mica disc with a fish motif, and then attached this . to a glass disc of varying degrees of .J thickness, which gave the effect of eddy-- I ing water. Eventually, the Professor strayed away to become a magazine artist, a defection to which Buchter, al- ludes in the tone a father might use in < speaking of a son who has take to dope. While Buchter is thumhing through his treasured discs, members of his staff interrupt him from time to time to dis- cuss some technical point or other. He has twenty-two helpers in all when. .:.:.:::..:.::;;;.:-.-.-.-.--.;;,;;;;.;o; .-.--.;.:.:.:.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.;-:.........,:.:...:.:.........................".............................-.-.-.-...--...... h t e opera season is on, and a good many of them have been at the Metropolitan as long as, or longer than, he has. The oldest is Adolph \V erber, a Vien- nese in his late seventies. He was im- ported in 1 903 by Heinrich Cùnreid, who considered him the best theatrical electrician in Europe. \Verber special- izes in miniature effects and will talk for hours about the correct method of making a property glowworm glow. Like most of his colleagues, his interest in the opera extends only to technical niceties of this nature, and he seldom watches a performance unless one of his creations is involved. When the elec- tricians have a spare moment during the course of an opera, they generally tune in on broadcasts of wrestling or box- ing matches on a muted radio back- stage. The personnel o.f Buchter's staff, all members of the International .L l- liance of Theatrical Stage Empluyee , which has a closed-shop contract wIth the Metropolitan, get up to a hundred and fifty dollars a week when they are working, which averages six tu seven months a year. The rest of the time they do what they can ahout picking up odd jobs here and there. Bucnter also belongs to the I.A.T.S.E., but he is paid an annual salary well above union scale and he increases his income 48 r q '., 'Ji......."': "' j>';.v %i-"";;'V'\i= "", ;,",:,:;:-,::r. ,v f' "':é:::: " t::: :, . .': . . . t . .: . . . :. ,. :. . : . . :.. ' \": '1!1 : '- ll! "':'ì:' . ',,' '. ,', -:-'.-". ....:. li \ ; m . >,"' , - ", ",, ., u ' "'," ,11 ' o.r' { ': ': ' · L mÌ ' ,3fH .....:::.::::::.. .. 9 L ,"," t ..... . :<>..P' :,'...... , < " "'> I"' ..:::,ijf '" I ''''æ " · rrl If - :.:@ -:.."; "';t."", .... .-.. .. :. . :.. ";'-'::::::".-: t\ >\l .!'} ""-:::-. - ;,......... . it l j ,: / ,;:1 a, tJ, , ' :; f' , i f= . :'-. .'.- "J.jl; :; j :- . ií::: .' ,;:' ; ":.;':)" \ . ",:i.':: ,,11\ .&A ,.. )0....: :" ::: ;i r.i ; t ,'i . U IU : 1 ' :\,: ", """" 1 "" i;" ..: :-W{"':i .:I,: :r:.-di,::::":,, .'it:..: /^,;. , .,; <.. ! Ii":, i: t r I". q i;} k, t" : , :,', : , , " . : , , , ::; , ' : .. , , . '::: " ':: <, ; ,: :; , : A , , . r , , : ,'< '; ':", '.: . ", '," :' '\J.-' .. .', T ':: ' 'H. '<"'. ,,'. ' :,':d ?:; l '.':..:;,; ' '::;: :-:;;:-::'i-:'" ':',:: " ':,::. ." . · ;": f Y:" %b:S :::::.": ;,.... : _: :.:.:::.:.::.. ?t . n,.... \ /;/ .--\i!) /I I I \ "' +lott. Æ / ," OPENS DECEMBER 15th '^ /., "1/P" Nassau's largest, most distinguished hotel, located in _ It.ii " " a magnificent seaside garden estate. JJr 9. Luxurious accommodations and superb sports facilities i in a glorious setting. Private bathing beach, swimming pool and championship tennis courts right on the \ ---", grounds. Golf, sailing, fishing, water-skIing, '\ riding, polo at your door. Dinner dancing to the ( -\ music of an excellent orchestra. . ... ) lllustrated brochure on request. Kenneth Arnold, 4(M General Manager · , ... ../11 . .J!II" Only 70 minutes by air í from Miami. Regular teamship services from New York, Miami, Jack- - sonville. No passports re- quired for U. S. citizen.. ",,---,-- ...... '-"' '-"' For reservations apply New York Representa- tives: Robert F . Warner Associates, 11 West 42nd Street or your local Travel Agent.